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Current Affairs Magic

Weekly Current Affairs Update

Current Affairs Magic May 30 to June 5, 2018 www.globalias.in

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For the Week: May 30 to June 5, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

Results of Lok Sabha and Assembly byelections in 10 states announced

India‟s forest cover stood at 21.34 per cent in 2015

Centre notifies Cauvery Water Management Authority

Mahanadi water tribunal asks states to nominate reps for adjudication of dispute

Online analytical tool to monitor foreign contributions under FCRA launched

Campaign for Blue Flag Certification of beaches launched

87% Indians worry about non-recyclable waste‟s impact on environment: Ipsos survey

Govt forms executive committee for Gandhi‟s 150th birth anniversary celebrations

Upgraded Pinaka rocket successfully test-fired

Nuclear-capable Agni-5 test-fired successfully

Ganga Praharis to protect bio-diversity of river Ganga

Jan Aushadhi Suvidha oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkin launched

Foundation laid for India‟s first Advanced Forensic Lab in Chandigarh for women-related cases

Tourism Minister launches guidelines on Adventure Tourism

Health Ministry to immunize healthcare workers with Hepatitis- B vaccine

Rs 100,000 as office expenses/yr for retired President, Rs 90,000 for ex-VP

Dinesh Gupta new Director General of GSI

Akshay Kumar to promote government‟s road safety campaign

Amitabh Bachchan to be face of Railways anti-trespassing campaign

India‟s envoy to Russia Pankaj Saran appointed Deputy NSA

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

PM Modi visits Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore

PM Modi meets Malaysian PM Mahatir Mohammad

India and Indonesia elevate bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership level

PM Modi, Widodo inaugurate kite exhibition themed on Indian epics

India-Indonesia to hold first interfaith dialogue in October

PM Modi launches 3 Indian digital payment apps in Singapore

PM Modi unveils Mahatma Gandhi plaque at Clifford Pier in Singapore

Indian, Singaporean navies sign agreement on logistics cooperation

Replica of 6th century Buddhagupta Stele presented to Singapore PM

PM Modi meets US Defence Secretary in Singapore

India signs Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore

Swaraj discusses bilateral ties with SA President

Commerce Minister attends informal gathering of WTO in Paris

Navy rescues 38 Indians from Socotra Island in Yemen

India, Pak DGMOs agree to fully implement 2003 ceasefire pact

RIMPAC from June 27; India among 26 participant countries

US Pacific Command renamed as US Indo-Pacific Command

India, Japan, US to participate in naval exercise in Guam

Russia‟s Gazprom begins LNG supplies to India

India among top 5 nations in e-waste generation: Report




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Section C: WORLD

IISc makes it to top 100 in Times Higher Education ranking

Japan‟s Lower House passes bills to lower adulthood age

China launches new earth observation satellite Gaofen-6

US vetoes UN resolution on protecting Palestinians

Cuba, US to restore direct postal service

UN releases first education guide on fighting anti-Semitism

First Saudi women get driving licences

Fuego volcano eruption in Guatemala kills 25

Indonesia‟s Merapi volcano ejects towering column of ash

India ranked 113th on world childhood index

Denmark bans Islamic full-face veil in public spaces

International Day of UN Peacekeepers observed on May 29

United Nations Global Day of Parents celebrated on June 1

World Milk Day observed on June 1

World No Tobacco Day observed on May 31

First World Bicycle Day observed on June 3

Pak SC strikes down disqualification of Khwaja Asif

Pedro Sanchez sworn in as new Spanish PM

Giuseppe Conte sworn in as Italian prime minister

Jordan PM Hani Mulki resigns after anti-austerity protests

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NITI Aayog releases national strategy on artificial intelligence, identifies 5 focus areas

MoES introduces new forecast model to give accurate prediction

FSSAI to limit trans-fat in vanaspati/margarine to below 2 pc in phased manner

3 ISS astronauts return to Earth safely

Section E: AWARDS

HDFC Bank recognized for Best Practices in Payment Security at Visa Summit

Punjab, Assam, Goa police stand out at FICCI Smart Policing awards

US philosopher Michael Sandel awarded Spain‟s Princess of Asturias prize

Kailash Satyarthi, ISRO chief get „Santokbaa Humanitarian‟ award

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance to get Sansad Ratna Award

GNFC gets Porter prize for promoting cashless transactions

Singer Zubeen Garg to receive PETA award

Kerala cartoonist Thomas Antony wins international award

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Govt seeks applications for NFRA chairperson, members‟ posts

UIDAI relaxes daily Aadhaar enrolment target for bank branches

Financial Literacy Week held from June 4 to 8

Govt appoints IDBI Bank MD M. K. Jain as RBI Deputy Governor

ICICI Bank orders probe into allegations against Chanda Kochhar

Section G: ECONOMY

Govt meets fiscal deficit target of 3.5% for FY‟18

India‟s per capita income grows by 8.6% to Rs 113,000 from 103,870 in FY18

India‟s Q4 GDP grows at 7.7%, for entire 2017-18 at 6.7%

New Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme launched by Income Tax Department

Revised Income Tax Informants Reward Scheme launched




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Govt. introduces „Seva Bhoj Yojna‟ scheme to reimburse GST on free food given at religious places

Free banking services not liable to GST, mutual fund exit load to attract levy

Forex reserves decline by $2.23 bn to $412.83 bn

1.5 lakh affordable houses sanctioned for urban poor under PMAY (Urban)

Government, World Bank sign $500 million loan agreement for PMGSY

Environment Ministry, TERI sign MOU to set up Resource Efficiency Cell

Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan being implemented in 111 Aspirational Districts

Financial institution to be set up exclusively for food processing sector

The Knowledge Coalition-Intelligent Conversations organised in New Delhi

Session on „Sustainable lifestyle towards Enhancing Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy‟ held

Ministries of MSME and Ayush Sign MoU for the Development of Ayush Enterprises

App and Web portal launched for transparency in electricity payments to Generators

Centre asks states to lift PDS grains for welfare institutions

FICCI‟s Economic Outlook Survey projects GDP growth for FY19 at 7.4%

Moody‟s cuts India‟s GDP forecast in 2018 to 7.3% from 7.5%

Manufacturing PMI declines in May

April eight core industries growth at 4.7%

Section H: CORPORATE

Workers in Mumbai work longest hours in the world

IOC most profitable PSU for 2nd year in a row

Cipla announces $15 mn „disruptive‟ challenge

Google India introduces „Neighbourly‟ app to solve local queries

FICCI joins hands with PPMC to chart road map for sustainable mobility in India

Patanjali removes „Kimbho app‟ from Play Store

Royal Enfield launches special edition of Classic 500 Pegasus

NCW, Facebook to provide training to women on responsible use of internet

Legal & General sells 26% in IndiaFirst to Warburg Pincus

Bharti Foundation inks pact to support govt schools in NE

NTPC adopts Charminar

Singapore Airlines to launch world‟s longest commercial flight in October

Australia‟s Commonwealth Bank to pay record fine in laundering case

Toshiba completes $18 billion sale of chip unit to Bain consortium

Microsoft acquires GitHub for $7.5bn

HDFC Bank‟s Aditya Puri features in Barron‟s list of top 30 global CEOs

CBI books Air Asia CEO, others for violating international flying norms

Section I: STATES

Bengal‟s Chau mask acquires Geographical Indication tag

Centre to set up study centre on Brahmaputra river at Gauhati University

World Bank to provide $21.7 mn loan for Rajasthan financial management

Piyush Goyal flags off Humsafar Jodhpur Bandra Express in Rajasthan

Kalkaji-Janakpuri corridor opens to public; Delhi-NCR metro span to be 380 km by Dec

Heli-Taxi services launched between Shimla & Chandigarh

Govt enhances compensation for loss of milch animals due to cross-border firing in J&K

Rose-ringed parakeet is official bird of A.P.

Telangana govt, LIC sign MoU for life insurance scheme for farmers

NASSCOM to set up cyber security CoE in Telangana

Cochin Shipyard, Kerala govt ink pact to build marine ambulances

Kerala Tourism rolls out „ComeOutAndPlay‟ monsoon campaign

Odisha launches health insurance scheme for journalists

Maharashtra ties up with Tata Motors, M&M to deploy 1,000 e-vehicles




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Maharashtra government unveils „sandbox‟ to aid startups

Maharashtra BJP minister Pandurang Fundkar dies at 67

Bengali litterateur Indramitra dies at 89

Section J: SPORTS

Discus thrower Vikas Gowda announces retirement

Monu Goyat tops ProKabaddi 2018 player auction list at Rs.1.51 crore

National Sports University Ordinance, 2018 gets President‟s assent

Rabada named South Africa‟s Cricketer of the Year

India‟s Sanjana Ramesh wins the MVP award at Basketball Without Borders Asia

CWG gold medallist Sanjita Chanu fails dope test

Chennai Customs, KSEB win titles at all-India Basketball Championship

Sports journalist Sathish Paul dies at 52




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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

Results of Lok Sabha and Assembly byelections in 10 states announced

Results of Lok Sabha and Assembly byelections were announced on May 31, 2018. Polling was held for by-elections to 4 Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly

constituencies spread across 10 states on May 28.

Lok Sabha

Maharashtra: BJP retained Palghar seat but lost Bhandara-Gondiya seat to NCP. Rajendra Gavit won from Palghar while Madhukar Kukade won from

Bhandara-Gondiya.

Uttar Pradesh: Tabassum Hasan of the RLD won the Kairana seat, earlier held by BJP.

Nagaland: Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won the state‟s lone seat. Tokheho Yepthomi won.

Legislative Assemblies

West Bengal: Trinamool Congress retained Maheshtala seat. Dulal Das won.

Bihar: RJD wrested Jokihat seat from the JD(U). Shahnawaz Alam won.

UP: Samajwadi Party wrested Noorpur seat from BJP. Naeemul Hasan won.

Uttarakhand: BJP retained Tharali seat. Munni Devi Shah won.

Jharkhand: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) retained both Silli and Gomia seats. In Gomia, Babita Devi won while in Silli, Seema Mahto won.

Punjab: Congress wrested Shahkot seat from Shiromani Akali Dal. Hardev Singh Ladi won

Meghalaya: Opposition Congress retained Ampati seat. Miani D Shira won.

Kerala: Ruling CPI (M)-led LDF retained Chengannur seat. Saji Cheriyan won.

Karnataka: Congress retained Rajarajeshwari Nagar seat. N. Munirathna won.

India’s forest cover stood at 21.34 per cent in 2015

The State of Environment Report 2015 was released by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan at the state environment ministers‟ conference in New Delhi on

June 4, 2018. According to the report:

Forests and tree cover together constitute about 24.16 per cent of the country‟s geographical area.

As per the latest estimate by Forest Survey of India (FSI), in 2015, the forest cover stood at 21.34 per cent of India‟s total geographical area, with a marginal

rise from 20.05 per cent in 2009.

Mizoram with 89 per cent has the highest forest cover among the states and Union territories in the country. It is followed by Lakshadweep (84.56 percent),

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (82 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (80 per cent), according to the report. 15 states and Union territories (UTs) having more

than 33 per cent forest cover.

The forest cover of the country has increased from 692,027 square kilometres in 2010 to 701,673 square kilometres in 2015.

There had been a net decline of 628 sq km in forest cover and an increase of 112 sq km in mangroves, as compared with 2009.

Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover of 72,462 sq km in the country.

E. K. Janaki Ammal National awards on taxonomy were also given away on the occasion. The awards consist of Rs. 5 lakh of cash, a scroll and a medallion.

The awards were given to: (i) Dr. S.R Yadav for Plant Taxonomy – (Dr. Yadav is a Scientist, Deptt of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur); (ii) Dr. P.T Cherian for

Animal Taxonomy (Dr. Cherian is Principal Investigator, Department of Zoology, Trivandrum) (iii) Dr. S. Sivaji for Microbial Taxonomy – (Dr. S. Sivaji is from

Hyderabad).

National Geographic‟s plastic wrapper-free magazine (India, US and UK editions) was also released on the occasion. The effort of National Geographic is to

educate and inform the public about the environmental threats of single-use plastic. This initiative by National Geographic will save more than 2.5 million

single-use plastic bags every month.

Centre notifies Cauvery Water Management Authority

The Centre on June 1, 2018 took the formal steps for notifying the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for implementation of the Cauvery Water

Tribunal Award on sharing of waters between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

Recently the Supreme Court gave its nod for CWMA for the implementation of the 2007 Cauvery Tribunal Award after the government placed the scheme

following the completion of assembly elections in Karnataka.




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Under the draft scheme presented to the court, the authority, which will be headquartered in Delhi, would be the sole body to implement the Cauvery Water

Disputes Tribunal award -- aimed at distribution of Cauvery waters between the party states as modified by the apex court. The Centre would have no say in

it except for issuing administrative advisories to it.

The CWMA will be assisted in the discharge of its functions by a Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) located in Bengaluru, mandated to collect

daily water levels, inflows and storage position at Hemavathy, Harangi, Krishnarajasagara, Kabini, Mettur, Bhavanisagar, Amaravathy and Banasurasagar

reservoirs.

The court had said that the CWMA will be bound by the contours regarding apportionment of river water in terms of the Award. While doing so, the

authority is “expected to take into account all factors that may be relevant at the given point of time, including identifying the situation of distress in the

basin caused due to identifiable factors before quantifying the water quantity for being released or allotted to the party States/UT for the relevant period”.

Mahanadi water tribunal asks states to nominate reps for adjudication of dispute

The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal has asked the governments of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to nominate their

representatives for adjudication of the river dispute by August 6.

“Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal has issued notice under Rule 4 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Rules, 1959 to the state governments of Odisha,

Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to nominate their representatives for adjudication of Mahanadi River Water Disputes latest by

August 6, 2018.

“The notice also mentioned that if no nominations were received by the due date, the case may be decided in the absence of any representation of state

government,” a statement by the Ministry of Water Resources said.

On the request of Odisha made under the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, the central government constituted Mahanadi Water Dispute

Tribunal on March 12.

Online analytical tool to monitor foreign contributions under FCRA launched

Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh on June 1, 2018 launched an Online Analytical Tool to facilitate closer monitoring of the flow and utilisation of

foreign contributions received by various organisations registered or permitted under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.

This web-based tool enables decision-makers in various Departments of Government to scrutinise source of foreign funds and their actual use in India. It

gives them capacity to take data-driven and evidence-based decisions regarding the compliance of the provisions of the FCRA, 2010.

There are approximately 25,000 active NGOs and other organisations registered under the FCRA,. Foreign contributions worth Rs 18,065 crore were received

by such organisations for various social, cultural, economic, educational and religious activities during financial year 2016-17.

Campaign for Blue Flag Certification of beaches launched

Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has embarked upon a programme for

Blue flag certification of one Blue Flag beach in each of the 13 coastal States /UTs under the World Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management

Project (ICZMP).

SICOM conceived an integrated coastal management scheme named BEAMS (Beach Management Services). The main objective of BEAMS programme is to

reduce pollutants, promote sustainable development and strive for high standards in the areas of (i) environmental management (ii) environmental education

(iii) bathing water quality (iv) safety & security services scientifically. A “Clean” beach is the primary indicator of coastal environmental quality, management

and economic health of beach tourism. However, coastal regions in India are highly susceptible to litter and other pollution.

A team of SICOM carried out extensive field research work to assess gaps with regard to Blue Flag requirements in the 13 nominated pilot beaches. These 13

beaches include - Shivrajpur (Dwarka) Gujarat, Ghoghla (Diu) Daman & Diu, Bhogve (Sindhudurg) Maharashtra, Miramar (Panjim) Goa, Padubidri (Udupi)

Karnataka, Kappad (Kozhikode) Kerala, Emerald (Karaikal) Puducherry, Mahabalipuram Tamil Nadu, Rushikonda (Vishakhapatnam), Andhra Pradesh,

Chandrabhaga (Puri) Odisha, Tajpur (Purbi Midnapore) West Bengal, Radhanagar (Havelock) Andaman Nicobar and Bangaram, Lakshadweep.

“BLUE FLAG” has very stringent 33 criteria to be complied based on which a beach is certified and permitted to hoist their flag in these beaches. The moment

a “BLUE FLAG” is hoisted in a beach, the mention is made in the global headquarters of Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) in Copenhagen,

Denmark and thereby on the World Tourism Map.

87% Indians worry about non-recyclable waste’s impact on environment: Ipsos survey




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As many as 87 per cent Indians were concerned about the environmental effects of non-recyclable waste which includes plastic packaging, plastic bags and

other disposable objects, according to a new survey by global research firm Ipsos. The survey also found that Indians have identified air pollution, global

warming and overpopulation as top three environment issues which need attention.

Water pollution, deforestation, poor quality of drinking water, wildlife conservation, natural resource depletion, future food sources and supplies, emissions,

flooding, soil erosion, and over-packaging of consumer goods were some of the other worrisome environment issues identified by Indians.

Indians recommend a combination of effective actions which include government investment to improve recycling, higher taxes on shops that use non-

recyclable packaging and fines for households that do not recycle enough.

Govt forms executive committee for Gandhi’s 150th

birth anniversary celebrations

The government on June 2, 2018 set up an executive committee (EC) under the chairpersonship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “spread Mahatma

Gandhi‟s legacy” around the world. The committee comprises senior cabinet ministers, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, renowned Gandhians,

social activists and noted public figures. The EC‟s mandate is to chalk out the plan, programmes, and activities under the commemoration. The objective of

the commemoration is to spread Gandhiji‟s legacy amongst the people at the national and international level.

The panel was formed after the first meeting of the National Committee (NC) under the chairmanship of the President to commemorate the 150th birth

anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in which it was decided to form a sub-committee to consider policies and lay down guidelines for the celebrations. The NC

has 125 members, of which 116 are from India. The others are acclaimed foreign members.

Upgraded Pinaka rocket successfully test-fired

An upgraded version of Pinaka rocket, with a guidance system and an enhanced range, was successfully test-fired from the Proof & Experiment Establishment

(PXE) at Chandipur in Odisha on May 30, 2018.

The earlier Pinaka version, which was an unguided one, has now been upgraded into a guided version, with a navigation, guidance and control kit developed

by the Research Centre, Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad. The RCI comes under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The conversion helped

in enhancing the range and accuracy of Pinaka. If its range was earlier 40 km, it is more than 70 km now.

The guided Pinaka was developed jointly by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, the RCI, and the Defence Research and

Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. The PXE, Chandipur, provided the range and launch support.

Nuclear-capable Agni-5 test-fired successfully

Indian successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-5 from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on June 3,

2018. The intercontinental ballistic missile was fired with a strike range of 5,000 km that can reach several parts of China. This was the sixth successful test

launch of the longest range nuclear capable missile. It was last tested on January 18, 2018. Agni-5 is part of the Agni series of missiles, one of the missile

systems under the original Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.

Ganga Praharis to protect bio-diversity of river Ganga

A new grassroots-level volunteer workforce has been deployed to protect the bio-diversity of river Ganga called Ganga Praharis. A group of 427 trained

volunteers are reaching to each and every house in areas along river Ganga to educate them about the importance of protecting river‟s bio-diversity. They

are spread over Ganga basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Roped-in by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun

as part of the “Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation” project being sponsored by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the aegis of

the Namami Gange programme, these Ganga Praharis are well trained in ecological monitoring of Ganga aqua life, plantation techniques, awareness creation

and community mobilization.

Jan Aushadhi Suvidha oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkin launched

Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Mansukh L. Mandaviya, launched the „Jan Aushadhi Suvidha‟ oxo-

biodegradable sanitary napkin under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), in New Delhi on June 4, 2018. The affordable sanitary

napkins will now become available at over 3600 Janaushadhi Kendras functional in 33 States/UTs across India. Emphasizing upon the affordability aspect of

Suvidha napkins, Mandaviya said that the average price of sanitary napkins available in the market today is around Rs. 8 per pad, whereas now with the

launch of the SUVIDHA napkins at Rs. 2.50 per pad.

Foundation laid for India’s first Advanced Forensic Lab in Chandigarh for women-related cases




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Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi laid foundation of Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory in the campus of Central

Forensic Science Lab, Chandigarh on June 1, 2018. The Minister said that forensic analysis plays critical role in criminal investigation and the Advanced Lab

will contribute to address the gap in forensic DNA analysis of pending sexual assault cases in the country. The Minister added that the lab is being set up as a

model forensic lab and would be replicated in other parts of the country.

Tourism Minister launches guidelines on Adventure Tourism

The Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) K. J. Alphons launched the Guidelines by the Government of India on Adventure Tourism in New

Delhi on May 31, 2018. These guidelines on Safety and Quality Norms for Adventure Tourism in India have been formulated along with the Adventure Tour

Operators Association of India (ATOAI) in an effort to make adventure sports safer. The aim of this initiative is to help adventure tour operators understand

and execute safety guidelines in a better manner. These guidelines cover land, air and water based activities which include mountaineering, trekking, bungee

jumping, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, river rafting and many other sports. These Guidelines are for 15 Land Based, 7 Air Based and 7 Water Based

activities.

Health Ministry to immunize healthcare workers with Hepatitis- B vaccine

On directions of Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken a decision to vaccinate all healthcare workers who are

at an increased risk of acquiring Hepatitis-B infection such as those involved in conducting deliveries, giving injections and exposed to blood or blood

products. Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all healthcare workers with occupational exposure, who have not received a complete primary series.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. The virus is highly contagious and is transmitted through

contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.

Rs 100,000 as office expenses/yr for retired President, Rs 90,000 for ex-VP

The government has decided to provide upto Rs 100,000 lakh to a retired President and Rs 90,000 to a retired Vice-President on account of office expenses

every year, the Home Ministry said on May 29, 2018.

RECENT BOOKS

NON-FICTION

Spectrum Politics: Unveiling the Defence by Salman Khurshid

India and Pakistan: Neighbours at Odds by Avtar Singh Bhasin

History Repeating: Why Populists Rise and Governments Fall by Sam Wilkin

Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India by Madhavi Menon

Across the Universe: The Beatles in India by Ajoy Bose

RSS 360: Demystifying Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh by Ratan Sharda

Beyond Dharma: Dissent in the Ancient Indian Sciences of Sex and Politics by Wendy Doniger

The Vanishing Stepwells of India by Victoria Lautman

Running Away From Elephants: Adventures of a Wildlife Biologist by Rauf Ali

FICTION

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

NEWSMAKERS

Dinesh Gupta new Director General of GSI

Dinesh Gupta was on June 1, 2018 appointed as the new Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) based in Kolkata. Gupta is an alumni of the

Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad from where he did PhD in Applied Geophysics.

Akshay Kumar to promote government’s road safety campaign

Actor Akshay Kumar on June 3, 2018 joined hands with the Union ministry of Road Transport and Highways to promote road safety through its campaign.

The actor has uploaded a photo in which he is dressed as a traffic police constable along with real life police personnel, and hoped that the campaign will

create awareness about road safety.

Amitabh Bachchan to be face of Railways anti-trespassing campaign




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Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has become the face of Central Railways‟ anti-trespassing campaign. Trespassing on railway tracks is a major cause of

deaths on Mumbai suburban rail network. Central Railway has launched an initiative „Ek Safar Rail Ke Saath‟, where celebrities will share their experience

about Indian Railways and their journey in a short film. At the end of the film, they will give a message for railway commuters.

India’s envoy to Russia Pankaj Saran appointed Deputy NSA

Senior diplomat Pankaj Saran was on May 29, 2018 appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor for a period of two years. Saran is India‟s Ambassador to

Russia since November 2015. He had held various positions in India and abroad including the country‟s High Commissioner to Bangladesh. He also served as

the joint secretary in the Prime Minister‟s Office between 2007 and 2012. Former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, Ajit Doval is the National Security Adviser.




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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

PM Modi visits Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore

PM Modi meets Malaysian PM Mahatir Mohammad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30, 2018 met his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya. The two leaders

had “productive discussions” on bolstering the bilateral strategic ties. India is Malaysia‟s largest trading partner in South Asia with total turnover of RM 61.43

billion (USD 15.44 billion) in 2017.

India and Indonesia elevated bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership level

India and Indonesia on May 30, 2018 elevated their bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and called for freedom of navigation in the Indo-

Pacific region as they signed 15 agreements including one on defence cooperation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held “productive discussions” with

President Joko Widodo. Modi said that India‟s Act East Policy and the vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region) matches Widodo‟s Maritime

Fulcrum Vision. The two countries signed 15 agreements including on the cooperation in the field of defence, space, science and technology, railways and

health.

PM Modi, Widodo inaugurate kite exhibition themed on Indian epics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in May 30, 2018 flew kites as they inaugurated the first joint kite exhibition themed on

India‟s largest epics Ramayana and Mahabharata at the Jakarta‟s National Monument in Jakarta. The Ramayana theme is designed by Indonesian organisers

while the Mahabharata theme has been designed by Indians. Both leaders visited the Arjuna Wijaya Chariot statue and the grand Istiqlal Mosque, the largest

in Southeast Asia, in the Indonesian capital. Modi also announced a 30-day free visa for Indonesian citizens.

India-Indonesia to hold first interfaith dialogue in October

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joko Widodo on May 30, 2018 agreed to organise an interfaith dialogue in Indonesia in early October 2018,

which will be followed by a similar dialogue in India next year to promote pluralism and eradicate radicalism. Indonesia, the world‟s most populous Muslim-

majority nation, has struggled with Islamist terrorism and violence against its Christian minority in the past two decades. India has the second largest

population of Muslims, after Indonesia.

PM Modi launches 3 Indian digital payment apps in Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 31, 2018 launched three Indian mobile payment apps in Singapore aimed at internationalisation of the country‟s

digital payment platforms. At the „Business, Innovation and Community Event‟ in Singapore where digital platform was the main theme, Modi launched

India‟s BHIM, RuPay and SBI app.

The RuPay digital payments system was linked up with Singapore‟s 33-year-old Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS). RuPay users will be able to make

payments at all NETS acceptance points across Singapore. Holders of Singapore NETS will be able to make online purchases on the National Payments

Corporation of India (NPCI) e-commerce merchant website.

The SBI App will help Indian blue-collar workers in Singapore to send money home. Remittance of up to Rs 100,000 will be made quick, easy and convenient

with the help of Virtual Payment Address (VPA). This service will be available to savings account holders of SBI Singapore.

PM Modi unveils Mahatma Gandhi plaque at Clifford Pier in Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 2, 2018 unveiled the plaque, marking the immersion site of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi‟s ashes at Clifford

Pier in Singapore. Modi also visited the National Orchid Garden, located within the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It is the only tropical garden to be listed as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site. An orchid was named after Modi at the garden to commemorate his visit to Singapore. The orchid was named Dendrobrium

Narendra Modi. Religious places visited by Modi in Singapore were Chulia Mosque and Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and

Museum. The Indian Prime Minister also visited the Changi Naval Base.

Indian, Singaporean navies sign agreement on logistics cooperation

India and Singapore on June 1, 2018 signed a Logistics Cooperation Agreement to strengthen bilateral naval ties. “Our defense ties have strengthened. Our

navies have signed an agreement today on logistics cooperation and will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the annual Singapore-India maritime bilateral




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exercise this year,” the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, said after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Singapore. Loong

also dwelled upon the Andhra Pradesh Amaravati city project, saying that it is “progressing well” with the Singapore Consortium.

Replica of 6th

century Buddhagupta Stele presented to Singapore PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 presented his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong a replica of 6th

century Buddhagupta Stele that bears

Sanskrit phrases and symbolises the transmission of Buddhism from India to Southeast Asia. The original Buddhagupta Stele is currently housed at the Indian

Museum, Kolkata. The replica was made by the Ministry of Culture in association with the Indian Museum in Kolkata. Modi also handed over the Padma Shri

award to former Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh. Koh, 80, was among 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) receipts of the prestigious

award this year.

PM Modi meets US Defence Secretary in Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 2, 2018 met US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore. Recently the Pentagon renamed its Pacific Command as

Indo-Pacific Command in a largely symbolic move to signal India‟s importance to the US military. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual

Shangri-La Dialogue which was addressed by Modi on June 1. In his keynote address at the Dialogue, Modi had said an “Asia of rivalry” will hold the region

back while an Asia of cooperation will shape the current century. India was granted the „Major Defence Partner‟ status by the previous Barack Obama

Administration, providing for transfer of technology and deeper cooperation in the defence sector.

India signs Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore

India has signed the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore. This is the first MRA being signed by India with any of our FTA

partners. Singapore agreed to expand coverage of Indian nursing institutions by recognising seven nursing institutions in the MRA. This has paved way for

our healthcare service providers to institutionally access markets abroad.

Swaraj discusses bilateral ties with SA President

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for greater cooperation in areas of skill development,

agriculture and information technology. Swaraj arrived in Johannesburg on June 3, 2018 on a five-day visit. She participated in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,

China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers‟ meeting on June 4. The other foreign ministers attending the meeting were China‟s Wang Yi, South Africa‟s

Lindiwe Sisulu, Brazil‟s Marcos Bezerra Abbott Galvao and Russia‟s Sergey Lavrov. Swaraj also chaired a meeting of Foreign Ministers of IBSA (India, Brazil,

South Africa), another bloc working to deepen coordination among the three countries on major global issues.




12

Commerce Minister attends informal gathering of WTO in Paris

Commerce and Industry Minister, Suresh Prabhu, attended an Informal Gathering of Trade Ministers from WTO-member countries in Paris on 31 May 2018.

Twenty-Eight (28) member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Director General of the WTO Roberto Azevedo attended the informal

meeting. Prabhu said that India has reservations on the introduction of new issues such as investment facilitation in WTO due to which fundamental issues in

agriculture and development get neglected. He also rejected discussions on binding multilateral rules for e-commerce stating that it was premature to do so

and members should stick to the agreed work programme for e-commerce. A number of countries at the WTO, including powerful members like the US, the

EU and Australia, are trying to launch negotiations on new issues such as investment facilitation, e-commerce and gender.

Navy rescues 38 Indians from Socotra Island in Yemen

In a swift operation, the Navy on June 3, 2018 rescued 38 Indians from Socotra in Yemen where they were stranded for nearly 10 days after Cyclone Mekunu

devastated the island. The rescue work was done under „Operation Nistar‟. INS Sunayna was deployed after the Navy received a distress call from the

Directorate-General of Shipping and the Indian Sailing Vessels Association. The Navy had undertaken two aerial sorties on May 28 and 29 to search for the

missing Indians.

India, Pak DGMOs agree to fully implement 2003 ceasefire pact

Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan on May 29, 2018 agreed to “fully implement” the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and

spirit” forthwith to stop cross border firings in Jammu and Kashmir. The two military commanders reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control

(LoC) and International Border (IB) in J and K during a conversation over the hotline at 6 PM. Following the conversation between Indian DGMO Lt Gen Anil

Chauhan and Pakistan‟s Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the two armies issued identical statements saying both sides agreed to fully implement the 15-year-

old ceasefire understanding.

RIMPAC from June 27; India among 26 participant countries

As many as 26 countries, including India, would participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise from June 27 to August 2, in and

around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, the Pentagon announced on May 31, 2018. Known as the world‟s largest international maritime

exercise, RIMPAC this year involves 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. Ahead of the

announcement, the United States had disinvited China from RIMPAC, a move Beijing described as “unfortunate”. The theme this year is “Capable, Adaptive,

Partners.”

US Pacific Command renamed as US Indo-Pacific Command

In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Trump administration on May 31, 2018 renamed the US Pacific

Command to US Indo-Pacific Command. The move is also reflective of the growing importance of the Indian Ocean in US strategic thinking. Henceforth, the

US Pacific Command, or PACOM, which was formed after World War II, will be known as the Indo-Pacific Command.

India, Japan, US to participate in naval exercise in Guam

Naval ships, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the United States will participate in exercise „Malabar 2018,‟ off the coast of Guam in the Philippine

Sea in mid-summer. This was stated in a release by the US embassy on June 1, 2018. This exercise is expected to increase the level of understanding and

interoperability between the three navies.




13

Russia’s Gazprom begins LNG supplies to India

Russia has begun supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India under a long-term deal. India is world‟s fourth-largest buyer of LNG. LNG carrier „LNG Kano‟,

carrying a cargo from Russian supplier Gazprom, docked at Petronet LNG‟s import facility in Dahej (Gujarat) on June 4, 2018. Gazprom supplied the 3.4 trillion

British thermal unit (TBtu) of cargo from Nigeria. The LNG cargo was received by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Under the deal, India will import LNG

worth an estimated USD 25 billion over the contract period of 20 years from Russia. “Four years back, we were importing LNG from only Qatar. Today we are

getting LNG from Australia, US and now Russia,” Pradhan said.

India among top 5 nations in e-waste generation: Report

India is among the top five e-waste generating countries in the world besides China, the US, Japan and Germany, according to a report released by Assocham

and NEC on June 4, 2018 ahead of the World Environment Day on June 5. Among states, Maharashtra contributes the largest e-waste of 19.8 per cent but

recycles only about 47,810 tonne per annum (TPA). Tamil Nadu with e-waste contribution of 13 per cent recycled about 52,427 TPA; Uttar Pradesh (10.1 per

cent) recycles about 86,130 TPA; West Bengal (9.8 per cent), Delhi (9.5 per cent ), Karnataka (8.9 per cent), Gujarat (8.8 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh 7.6 per

cent.




14

Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

IISc makes it to top 100 in Times Higher Education ranking

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has made it to the top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education‟s World Reputation Rankings 2018,

becoming the only Indian institution to make it to the prestigious list this year.

The IISc has been ranked in the 91-100 band of the annual list topped by American universities Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and

Stanford, with the UK‟s Cambridge and Oxford completing the top five.

India features in the table for the first time since 2011, with its flagship institution, the Indian Institute of Science, making the 91-100 banding. The rankings

were unveiled in London on May 31, 2018.

The „World Reputation Rankings‟ are created using what „Times Higher Education‟ describes as the world‟s largest invitation-only academic opinion survey

and unique piece of research.

The survey, available in 15 languages, uses United Nations data as a guide to ensure that the response coverage is as representative of world scholarship as

possible. It is also evenly spread across academic disciplines.

The 2018 rankings are based on a more than 10,000-strong survey carried out between January and March this year.

Japan’s Lower House passes bills to lower adulthood age

Japan‟s Lower House of Parliament on May 29, 2018 approved bills to lower the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18, as the government grapples to

contend with its rapidly ageing and declining population and the need for more youngsters to be socially active. One of the major changes that would be

brought if the changes to the Civil Code and laws are enacted and actualized in April 2022, would be that those aged 18 and 19 would legally be able to

marry without parental consent. At present, males aged 18 and over and females aged 16 and older can marry in Japan but parental consent is required by

law for marrying under the age of 20. Under the new adulthood changes, the legal age for women to marry will also be raised to 18.

China launches new earth observation satellite Gaofen-6

China on June 2, 2018 successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite which will be mainly used in agricultural resources research and disaster

monitoring. The Gaofen-6 satellite was launched on a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. A scientific

experiment satellite named Luojia-1 was sent into space at the same time.

US vetoes UN resolution on protecting Palestinians

The United States on June 1, 2018 vetoed an Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for measures to protect the Palestinians after more than 100 were killed

by Israeli fire during protests at the border with Gaza. Ten countries including China, France and Russia voted in favor of the draft put forward by Kuwait on

behalf of Arab countries at the Security Council. Four countries -- Britain, Ethiopia, the Netherlands and Poland -- abstained. A draft resolution requires nine

votes to be adopted in the 15-member council and no veto from the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The

Kuwait-drafted text had called for “measures to guarantee the safety and protection” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and

requested a UN report to propose an “international protection mechanism.”

Cuba, US to restore direct postal service

Cuba and the US on June 1, 2018 agreed to permanently restore the direct postal service between the two countries. The execution of the service in its

current format began on April 16, 2018. This service allows the postal delivery of mail, parcels, and express courier deliveries on direct flights between Cuba

and the United States, and through post offices in both countries. During 48 years, letters and parcels had to travel through other countries like Canada,

Mexico, Panama and Jamaica. This led to increased operational costs for the Cuban side and caused large delays to deliveries, leading to customer

complaints. The direct postal service between the two neighbouring nations was suspended by Havana in 1968 after the explosion of a bomb in a parcel

coming from New York that killed five postal workers.

UN releases first education guide on fighting anti-Semitism

The United Nations has released its first ever guidelines on fighting anti-Semitism in education. UNESCO, the UN‟s cultural body, launched the publication on

June 4, 2018 in Paris in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the OSCE. The guide, aimed to be used by young people,




15

the teaching world, as well as political leaders, was presented by Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO‟s first Jewish director general. UNESCO said the guide provides

tools to strengthen the resilience of young people to anti-Semitic ideas and violent extremism, such as how to respond to anti-Semitic acts and words in

school settings. It also familiarizes educators with anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories as well as developing media skills to help students resist

manipulation.

First Saudi women get driving licences

Saudi Arabia on June 4, 2018 began issuing its first driving licences to women in decades. The move comes as Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world

where women are not allowed drive, prepares to lift its decades-long ban on female drivers on June 24. Authorities started swapping international licences

for Saudi ones in multiple locations across the kingdom, with women applicants made to undergo a “practical test”.

Fuego volcano eruption in Guatemala kills 25

At least 25 people were killed when Guatemala‟s Fuego volcano erupted on June 3, 2018, belching ash and rock and forcing the airport to close. The eruption

sent ash billowing over the surrounding area, turning plants and trees gray and blanketing streets, cars and people.

Indonesia’s Merapi volcano ejects towering column of ash

Indonesia‟s Mount Merapi on June 1, 2018 shot a towering plume of ash about 6 kilometers high in an eruption that lasted 2 minutes. The mountain is about

30 kilometers from center of Yogyakarta city on the densely populated island of Java. About a quarter million people live within a 10 kilometre radius of the

volcano. Merapi‟s last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people.

India ranked 113th

on world childhood index

India has improved its ranking in the world childhood index but stays at a poor 113th position -- up from 116 in 2017 -- in the list of 175 countries indexed

by global child rights group, Save the Children. The report, titled “End of Childhood”, released on May 31, 2018 commends India‟s achievements in reducing

the rate of child marriages which it said was a major factor contributing to an improved score in the index. However, it said nutrition, infant mortality and

child labour remained issues of grave concern in the country. Another challenge the report mentioned is that of adolescent pregnancy.

Denmark bans Islamic full-face veil in public spaces

Denmark has banned Islamic full-face veil in public spaces. The Danish parliament on May 31, 2018 passed a law in this regard, becoming the latest European

country to do so. As per the law, anyone who wears a cloth that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine. The law was passed with 75 votes against

30.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers observed on May 29

International Day of UN Peacekeepers was observed on May 29, 2018 with its theme as “UN Peacekeepers: 70 Years of Service and Sacrifice”. The Dag

Hammarskjöld Medal was awarded posthumously to the 129 peacekeepers who died in 2017. The medal is named after former UN Secretary General Dag

Hammarskjöld who died in plane crash in 1961.

United Nations Global Day of Parents celebrated on June 1

United Nations Global Day of Parents was celebrated on June 1, 2018. The Day is observed on June 1 every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General

Assembly in 2012. The Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents in all parts of the world for their selfless commitment to children and

their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.

World Milk Day observed on June 1

World Milk Day was observed on June 1, 2018. Interestingly, this is an event which does not follow a specific theme worldwide. Instead, different countries,

governments and non-governmental organizations get to pick a theme of their own. World Milk Day 2018 theme in India is, “Drink Move Be Strong”.

World No Tobacco Day observed on May 31

World No Tobacco Day was observed on May 31, 2018. Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners mark World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the

health and other risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The focus of World No Tobacco Day

2018 is “Tobacco and heart disease”.

1st World Bicycle Day observed on June 3




16

The first World Bicycle Day was observed on June 3, 2019. The United Nations General Assembly had declared June 3 as World Bicycle Day.

NEWSMAKERS

Pak SC strikes down disqualification of Khwaja Asif

Pakistan Supreme Court on June 1, 2018 struck down a high court order that disqualified former foreign minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, making him

eligible to contest in the upcoming elections. Asif on April 27 was disqualified by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for failing to disclose his employment in a

UAE company and the monthly salary he was receiving. He challenged it in the Supreme Court.

Pedro Sanchez sworn in as new Spanish PM

Spain‟s Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as prime minister on June 2, 2018, a day after ousting Mariano Rajoy in a historic no-confidence vote.

Sanchez, a 46-year-old economist with no government experience took the oath of office before King Felipe VI in the Zarzuela Palace near Madrid. Rajoy, a

63-year-old veteran politician, had been in power since 2011. Sanchez has vowed to implement the 2018 budget designed by Rajoy‟s conservative Popular

Party (PP) government.

Giuseppe Conte sworn in as Italian prime minister

Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy‟s new government on June 1, 2018. Conte, an academic and political novice, will head a government

of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party.




17

Jordan PM Hani Mulki resigns after anti-austerity protests

Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigned on June 4, 2018 after days of anti-austerity protests by citizens suffering from high unemployment and

repeated prices hikes. Mulki was summoned by King Abdullah II after the capital Amman and several other cities were rocked by protests that drew

thousands of people.




18

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NITI Aayog releases national strategy on artificial intelligence, identifies 5 focus areas

NITI Aayog has identified five sectors -- healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure and transportation -- to focus its efforts towards

implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) to serve societal needs.

The government‟s think-tank on June 4, 2018 unveiled its discussion paper on national strategy on AI which aims to guide research and development in new

and emerging technologies.

AI refers to the ability of machines to perform cognitive tasks like thinking, perceiving, learning, problem solving and decision making.

The paper focuses on how India can leverage the transformative technologies to ensure social and inclusive growth in line with the development philosophy

of the government.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said AI should be leveraged to provide quality solutions across the identified sectors.

According to the NITI Aayog paper, while AI can increase access and affordability of quality healthcare; in agriculture, it can contribute towards enhancing

farmers‟ income, increase farm productivity and reduce wastage.

The paper added the technology can also improve access and quality of education, help build efficient infrastructure for the burgeoning urban population

and develop smarter and safer modes of transportation to address traffic and congestion problems.

The paper has proposed a two-tiered structure to address India‟s AI research aspirations with setting up of a Centre of Research Excellence (CORE) and an

International Centres of Transformational AI (ICTAI).

While the CORE will be focused on developing better understanding of existing core research and pushing technology frontiers through creation of new

knowledge, the ICTAI will develop and deploy application-based research.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his last budget speech, had mandated the NITI Aayog to establish the national programme on AI to guide research and

development in new and emerging technologies.

MoES introduces new forecast model to give accurate prediction

The Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) on June 1, 2018 launched the Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) for generating more accurate and area specific forecast

of extreme weather events like rains, heat wave and cold wave.

The EPS will not only enable the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to give forecast five days before, but would also add the probability of occurrence of

an extreme weather event with its level of intensity.

Under the new model, the area of spatial resolution, which is 23 km grid scale, will reduce to 12 km. This will enable the meteorological department to give

district-level warning.

The new EPS system has been developed by the IMD, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the Indian Institute of Tropical

Meteorology--all three are under the MoES.




19

FSSAI to limit trans-fat in vanaspati/margarine to below 2% in phased manner

Food safety regulator FSSAI on June 1, 2018 said it has decided to bring down the trans-fatty acids (TFA) in vanaspati/bakery shortenings/margarine to less

than 2 per cent by 2022 in a phased manner, which would effectively bring the level of trans fats to zero level in food in India.

TFA are largely present in vanaspati (used in preparation of sweets and deep fried foods) and margarine and bakery shortenings. Trans-fatty acids are also

formed during repeated heating of fats/oils while deep frying at home and restaurants.

The global target is to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fat from the food supply by the year 2023. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

CEO Pawan Agarwal said that TFA reduction in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) from 5 per cent to 2 per cent will be carried out in a phased

manner by the industry.

Research has shown that higher intake of trans-fatty acids is associated with increased risk of high cholesterol and heart diseases. Trans-fatty acids can be

eliminated by adopting newer technologies which allow use of healthier oils in place of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Recently, the UN body World Health Organisation (WHO) has given a call to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fats from the food supply by 2023 and has

released an action package „REPLACE‟ for the same.

NEWSMAKERS

3 ISS astronauts return to Earth safely

Three members of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 55 crew returned safely to Earth on June 3, 2018 after nearly half a year-long stint in space.

American astronaut Scott Tingle, Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov had lived and worked in a low-Earth orbit for

168 days. During their stay at ISS, the crew conducted many experiments, including materials testing, a study of the effect of microgravity on the bone

marrow and research into plant growth in space. The Expedition 56 crew -- Commander Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold of NASA, and Oleg Artemyev of

Roscosmos -- will operate the station and prepare for the arrival of three new crew members on June 8.




20

Section E: AWARDS

HDFC Bank recognized for Best Practices in Payment Security at Visa Summit

HDFC Bank has once again been recognized with the Champion Security Award at the 14th

Visa Asia Pacific Security Summit. For the second time in a row, the

bank has won the award in the India & South Asia category. The Award is a mark of excellence reflecting leadership in risk management and payment

security performance.

Held in Singapore on May 16-17, 2018, the annual Visa Asia Pacific Security Summit brought together leading experts to discuss payment security

innovations and developments. With digital wallets and mobile payments becoming more popular globally, more than 630 participants convened to hear

how evolving consumer buying behaviour is shaping the future of commerce and payments.

Participants also discussed the changing payment landscape, the importance of collaboration between established and new industry entrants as more

payment services become available to consumers, as well as the push among governments towards a digital cashless society.

The Champion Security awards were presented to Australia/New Zealand: National Australia Bank Limited, Greater China: National

Credit Card Centre, Taiwan, India & South Asia: HDFC Bank Limited, Japan: Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS CO., Ltd, South Korea: Lotte Card Company, Limited,

Southeast Asia (2 awards): Krungthai Card Limited and Bank Mandiri and Best in Asia Pacific: United

Overseas Bank (Singapore)

Punjab, Assam, Goa police stand out at FICCI Smart Policing awards

The Assam Police has bagged the Special Jury Award for its initiative Smart Protection Unit at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

(FICCI) Smart Policing Awards. The award ceremony took place in New Delhi on May 31, 2018. The Goa Police Traffic Sentinel Scheme has also received

Special Jury Award during on homeland security. The Punjab police team has been awarded for using smart policing technology “PAIS”. It has won the

award under the category of Crime Prohibition.

The award was presented by Union Minister Vijay Goel in 18 categories to the representatives of the State Police Forces and Central Armed Police Forces. The

categories for which the awards were given are: Anti-Insurgency, Border Management, Child Safety, Community Policing, Crime Investigation and

Prosecution, Cyber Crime, Disaster Management, Elderly Safety, Emergency Response, Human Trafficking Control, Intelligence Collection, Maritime Security,

Road Safety and Traffic Management, Smart Police Station, Surveillance & Monitoring, Training and Capacity Building, Women‟s Safety and Other Policing

Initiative.

US philosopher Michael Sandel awarded Spain’s Princess of Asturias prize

US philosopher Michael Sandel, a fierce critic of the influence of the business world on society, was on May 30, 2018 awarded Spain‟s prestigious Princess of

Asturias award for social sciences, with the jury describing him as “one of today‟s foremost intellectuals”. Spain‟s 50,000-euro (USD 58,000) award for

international cooperation is one of eight prizes handed out yearly by a foundation named after Spain‟s Princess Leonor. Other categories include the arts --

US film director Martin Scorsese won it this year -- sport and literature. The awards are handed out in October in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo, capital

of the Asturias region, in a glittering ceremony that is broadcast live on Spanish television.

Kailash Satyarthi, ISRO chief get ‘Santokbaa Humanitarian’ award

President Ram Nath Kovind on May 29, 2018 presented the „Santokbaa Humanitarian Award‟ to child rights activist and Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and

space scientist A S Kiran Kumar, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in Surat. The award, instituted by Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge

Foundaton (SRKKF) and led by diamond baron Govind Dholakia, includes a trophy and a prize money of Rs 1 crore each to the awardees. Named after Patel‟s

mother Santokbaa, SRKKF confers the award every year for humanitarian contributions by individuals whose life and work are characterised by their selfless

and inspiring service.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance to get Sansad Ratna Award

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance will be awarded the Sansad Ratna Award 2018 for its outstanding performance. The award is based on the

criteria like the reports presented, numbers of sittings and number of subjects selected and others. This was announced by K. Srinivasan, Founder, Prime Point

Foundation, in Chennai on June 4, 2018. The Foundation has been awarding top performing MPs since 2010. The selection of award winners was done by a

Jury Committee consisting of eminent parliamentarians. “M. Veerappa Moily, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance will receive the

award at a function to be held in Indian Institute of Technology-Madras on June 9.

GNFC gets Porter prize for promoting cashless transactions




21

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals (GNFC) has bagged Porter Prize for second year in a row for innovative and pioneering role in promoting

cashless/less cash drive. The prize is administered by the Institute for Competitiveness, India, which works in affiliation with Harvard Business School, USA,

GNFC said in a statement issued on May 31, 2018. GNFC said the company has sold so far about 4 million bags of fertiliser worth nearly Rs 130 crore to over

three lakh farmers via cashless means across many states of the country using PoS machines, BHIM, and other digital means. GNFC is jointly promoted by the

Gujarat government and the Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GSFC).

Singer Zubeen Garg to receive PETA award

Singer Zubeen Garg would be honoured with the „Hero to Animals Award‟ from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India for his recent appeal

to end animal sacrifice at the Kamakhya Temple in Assam. Zubeen had expressed his anguish over the ritual of animal sacrifice and appealed for putting an

end to the practice while performing at a Bihu function near the temple recently.

Kerala cartoonist Thomas Antony wins international award

Kerala cartoonist Thomas Antony has won an international award, in the best caricature category. Antony, currently working as Executive Artist of Malayalam

daily „Metro Vaartha‟, is among the nine winners at the 13th

edition of the World Press Cartoon awards, instituted by an organisation based in Lisbon,

Portugal. The awards are given to the best works published in 2017 in newspapers and magazines from around the world. Antony is the lone cartoonist

selected from Asia selected for the prize. The awards were presented in Portugal on June 2, 2018.




22

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Govt seeks applications for NFRA chairperson, members’ posts

The government on May 30, 2018 sought applications for the posts of chairperson and three full-time members of the National Financial Reporting Authority

(NFRA).

As per the rules, the chairperson and full-time members of NFRA should not be associated with any audit firm during their tenure as well as two years after

demitting office. They would have a three-year term each and would be eligible for re-appointment for one more term. Another condition is that the

appointment would be for three years or till the person attains 65 years age, whichever is earlier. In the case of a part-time member, the tenure would be not

more than three years but eligible for re-appointment.

In March, the Cabinet approved setting up of the NFRA, which would be an independent regulator for the auditing profession. The same month, the

Corporate Affairs Ministry came out with the rules for appointment and other terms of service of chairperson and members.

The jurisdiction of the NFRA -- which would be an oversight body for auditors -- would extend to all listed companies as well as large unlisted public

companies.

The NFRA is mandated to make recommendations to the central government on the formulation and laying down of accounting and auditing policies and

standards for adoption by companies.

UIDAI relaxes daily Aadhaar enrolment target for bank branches

In a major breather to banks, the UIDAI has halved the daily minimum Aadhaar enrolment/ updation target for stipulated bank branches to eight from July 1,

2018. The bank branches with Aadhaar facility will have to raise the minimum number of Aadhaar enrolments and updations to 12 per day per branch from

October 1, and to 16 from January 1, 2019 onwards.

The target was so far pegged at 16 daily enrolments or updations per branch. Banks that achieve the target of minimum eight Aadhaar enrolments or

updations per day per branch in July will not have to face “financial disincentives” up to July 2018.

The Bank Aadhaar Kendras are being set up with a view to make the Aadhaar verification process of bank accounts convenient for the people, and also to

have more Aadhaar centres across the country. Banks have been asked to open Aadhaar enrolment centres in 10 per cent of their branches as part of this

initiative being driven by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Financial Literacy Week held from June 4 to 8

The Reserve Bank of India has chosen customer protection as theme for the Financial Literacy Week beginning June 4, 2018. This week long event ending on

June 8 will focus on creating awareness among customers of banks about financial products and services, good financial practices and going digital. The

week will focus on four consumer protection messages like „know your liability‟ for unauthorised electronic banking transaction and Good practices for a safe

digital banking experience. Bankers, Financial Literacy Counsellors (FLCs) and other stakeholders will participate to create awareness.

NEWSMAKERS

Govt appoints IDBI Bank MD M. K. Jain as RBI Deputy Governor

The government on June 4, 2018 appointed IDBI Bank MD & CEO Mahesh Kumar Jain as Deputy Governor of RBI in place of S. S. Mundra, who had

completed his three-year term in July 2017.

Jain, with 30 years of banking experience, has been MD of IDBI Bank since March 2017. Prior to this, he was MD of Chennai based Indian Bank. He was

appointed MD of Indian Bank in November 2015.

He also served in several banking sector panels including secretary and coordinator to Basant Seth Committee on Review and Revamp of Internal and

Concurrent Audit System in Public sector banks.

He was a member of the government constituted committee on PIL on NPAs for submission to Supreme Court and redesigning Annual Performance

Appraisal Report of PSB officers.

As per the RBI Act, the central bank should have four deputy governors - two from within the ranks and one commercial banker and another an economist to

head the monetary policy department.




23

Other serving Deputy Governors are Viral V Acharya, N S Vishwanathan and B P Kanungo.

ICICI Bank orders probe into allegations against Chanda Kochhar

The board of India‟s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank on May 30, 2018 said it has ordered an independent probe into allegations of „conflict of interest‟

and „quid pro quo‟ in bank‟s MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar‟s dealing with certain borrowers.

There are allegations of involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon group on a quid pro quo basis. It was alleged that

Videocon Group pumped money into NuPower Renewables, a firm owned by Deepak Kochhar, husband of Chanda Kochhar. Recently, market regulator SEBI

had served a notice on Kochhar on dealings of the bank with Videocon Group and NuPower.

Interestingly, the board of ICICI Bank expressed full faith in Chanda Kochhar, whose current tenure as CEO is set to end on March 31, 2019. It had reviewed

credit approval processes and found them to be robust, according to a March 28 filing by the bank.




24

Section G: ECONOMY

Govt meets fiscal deficit target of 3.5% for FY’18

Fiscal deficit for 2017-18 worked out to be 3.53 per cent of the GDP, broadly in line with the government‟s revised estimates.

According to the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) on May 31, 2018, the revenue deficit was 2.65 per cent of the GDP.

In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit was Rs 5.91 lakh crore or 99.5 per cent of the Budget estimates.

The government in the Budget, in February, had revised the fiscal deficit target for 2017-18 to 3.5 per cent from the earlier estimate of 3.2 per cent. It

proposes to bring down the fiscal deficit -- the gap between total expenditure and total revenue -- during 2018-19 to 3.3 per cent of the gross domestic

product (GDP).

The government‟s total expenditure was Rs 21,42,667 crore or 96.6 per cent of the originally planned. Its total receipts were Rs 15,51,004 crore or 95.6 per

cent of the Budget Estimate.

The revenue deficit during the last fiscal was Rs 4.43 lakh crore or 101 per cent of the Budget Estimate.

Fiscal deficit is a reflection of government borrowings, which is used to bridge the gap between revenue and expenditure.

India’s per capita income grows by 8.6% to Rs 113,000 from 103,870 in FY18

India‟s per capita income grew at a slower pace of 8.6 per cent to Rs 112,835 during the last fiscal ended March 2018, official data showed on May 31, 2018.

The per capita net national income in 2016-17 stood at Rs 103,870, witnessing a growth of over 10.3 per cent from the preceding fiscal ended March 2016 (at

Rs 94,130).

“The per capita income at current prices during 2017-18 is estimated to have attained a level of Rs 112,835 as compared to the estimates for the year

2016-17 of Rs 103,870, showing a rise of 8.6 per cent,” showed the provisional estimates of annual income, 2017-18 released by the Ministry of Statistics and

Programme Implementation (MOSPI).

In real terms, calculated at constant prices with base 2011-12, the per capita income grew by 5.4 per cent to Rs 86,668 in 2017-18 as compared to Rs 82,229

in 2016-17.

The country‟s gross national income (GNI) at current prices witnessed a rise of about 10 per cent at Rs 165.87 trillion during 2017-18 as against Rs 150.77

trillion during 2016-17.

The country‟s gross national income (GNI) on real terms (with 2011-12 base year), increased at 6.7 per cent to Rs 128.64 trillion in fiscal ended March 2018,

as against the previous year‟s estimate of Rs 120.52 trillion.

For fiscal ended March 2017, the real term GNI grew by 7.1 per cent.

India’s Q4 GDP grows at 7.7%, for entire 2017-18 at 6.7%

The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on May 31, 2018 released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product

(GDP) for the fourth quarter (January-March) Q4 of 2017-18 and Provisional estimates (PE) of national income for the financial year 2017-18.

GDP at 2011-12 prices in the fourth quarter (Q4) of financial year 2017-18 registered growth rate of 7.7 per cent as against 5.6 percent, 6.3 percent and 7.0

percent respectively, in the first three quarters, Q1, Q2 and Q3 of 2017-18.

As per the Provisional estimates of national income, the growth rate of GDP at constant (2011-12) prices for the financial year 2017-18 is estimated at 6.7

percent.

New Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme launched by Income Tax Department

With the objective of obtaining people‟s participation in the Income Tax Department‟s efforts to unearth black money and to reduce tax evasion, a new

reward scheme titled “Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018”, has been issued by the Income Tax Department. This reward scheme is aimed

at encouraging people to give information about benami transactions and properties as well as income earned on such properties by such hidden investors

and beneficial owners.




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Under the Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018, a person can get reward up to Rs. One crore for giving specific information in prescribed

manner to the Joint or Additional Commissioners of Benami Prohibition Units (BPUs) in Investigation Directorates of Income Tax Department about benami

transactions and properties as well as proceeds from such properties which are actionable under Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, as amended by

Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016.

Foreigners will also be eligible for such reward. Identity of the persons giving information will not be disclosed and strict confidentiality shall be maintained.

Background

It was found in many cases that black money was invested in properties in the names of others, even though benefits were enjoyed by the investor

concealing his beneficial ownership in his tax returns. The Government had earlier amended Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, by Benami Transactions

(Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 to make the law stronger.

Revised Income Tax Informants Reward Scheme launched

With the objective of obtaining people‟s participation in the Income Tax Department‟s efforts to unearth black money and reduce tax evasion, a new reward

scheme titled “Income Tax Informants Reward Scheme, 2018” has been issued by the Income Tax Department, superseding the earlier reward scheme issued

in 2007. Under the revised scheme, a person can get reward up to Rs. 50 lakh for giving specific information in prescribed manner to the designated officers

of Investigation Directorates in Income Tax Department about substantial evasion of tax on income or assets in India which are actionable under the Income-

tax Act, 1961.

The Government had earlier introduced Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, in order to investigate and

assess income and specific assets kept in foreign countries by people taxable in India, recover tax on it and take other actions like penalty and prosecution.

With the objective of attracting and encouraging people to give information about such income and assets actionable under Black Money (Undisclosed

Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, reward up to Rs. 5 crore has been introduced in the new reward scheme. Under this Scheme, a

person can get reward for giving specific information in prescribed manner about substantial tax evasion on income and assets abroad which are actionable

under Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.

Govt. introduces ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ scheme to reimburse GST on free food given at religious places

The government has launched „Seva Bhoj Yojna‟ for reimbursing the Central Government‟s share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated

Goods and Service Tax (IGST) imposed on raw materials purchased by Charitable Religious Institutions who provide Food/Prasad/Langar (Community

Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any discrimination to Public/Devotees. The scheme covers Charitable Religious Institutions such as Temples,

Gurdwara, Mosque, Church, Dharmik Ashram, Dargah, Matth, Monasteries etc. which have been in existence for at least five years and who serve free food to

at least 5000 people in a month. The total outlay for this scheme is Rs. 325.00 crores for Financial Years 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Free banking services not liable to GST, mutual fund exit load to attract levy

Free services, like ATM withdrawals, provided by banks to customers will not attract GST, but late payment charges on outstanding credit card bills and

purchase of insurance policies by NRIs will attract the levy. This was clarified in a set of FAQs on applicability of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on banking,

insurance and stock brokers sectors by the revenue department. Transactions relating to securitisation, derivatives, future and forward contracts are exempt

from GST. GST will be levied on the exit-load of mutual funds. Interest on a finance lease transactions are taxable under GST.

Forex reserves decline by $2.23 bn to $412.83 bn

India‟s forex reserves declined by USD 2.23 billion to USD 412.83 billion for the week ended May 25, on a dip in core currency assets, the Reserve Bank said

on June 1, 2018.

Total reserves had declined by USD 2.64 billion to USD 415.05 billion in the previous reporting week.

The reserves had touched a record high of USD 426.028 billion in the week to April 13. It had crossed the USD 400-billion mark for the first time in the week

to September 8, 2017, but has since been fluctuating.

The core currency assets fell by USD 2.229 billion to USD 387.597 billion for the reporting week.

Expressed in US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, the

pound and the yen held in the reserves.




26

The value of the gold assets was unchanged at USD 21.70 billion.

India‟s special drawing rights declined USD 2.9 million to USD 1.498 billion during the reporting week, while the reserve position in the IMF was down USD

3.9 million to USD 2.027 billion.

1.5 lakh affordable houses sanctioned for urban poor under PMAY (Urban)

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of another 1.5 lakh affordable houses across the country for the benefit of urban poor

under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs.7,227 cr with central assistance of Rs.2,209 cr. The approval was given in the 34th

meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee in its meeting held in New Delhi on May 30, 2018.

Government, World Bank sign $500 million loan agreement for PMGSY

The Government of India and the World Bank on May 31, 2018 signed a $500 million loan agreement to provide additional financing for the Pradhan Mantri

Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project, implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, which will build 7,000 km of climate resilient

roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies.

The World Bank has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004. So far it has invested over $1.8 billion in loans and credits mostly in the economically

weaker and hill states across North India - Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. It has built and

improved about 35,000 km of rural roads and benefited about eight million people with access to all-weather roads.

Environment Ministry, TERI sign MOU to set up Resource Efficiency Cell

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on June 2, 2018 launched a number of initiatives to

support the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) focus on waste management and resource efficiency. The initiatives were unveiled

by Secretary, MoEFCC, CK Mishra and Director General, TERI, Dr Ajay Mathur, at an event at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

MoEFCC and TERI entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a resource efficiency cell in the Ministry. The main objectives of the Cell are to

provide a platform to mainstream resource efficiency in public policy.

Also the European Union and MoEFCC also signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) to support the implementation of the EU Resource Efficiency Initiative

(EU-REI) Project in India, with a specific objective to foster the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources in India.

Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan being implemented in 111 Aspirational Districts

Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan (KKA) is being implemented in 25 villages in each of the 111 Aspirational Districts from June 1 to July 31, 2018. KKA undertakes various

activities to promote best farming practices and enhance Agricultural income.

KKA will be undertaken in 25 Villages with more than 1000 population each in Aspirational Districts identified in consultation with Ministry of Rural

Development as per directions of NITI Aayog. In districts where number of villages (with more than 1000 population) is less than 25, all villages will be

covered.

An Action Plan comprising specifically identified activities under various departments of the ministry namely, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation &

Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Animal Husbandry Dairying & Fisheries (DAHD&F) and Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE-ICAR), will be

implemented in each district.

The overall coordination and implementation in the 25 villages of a district is being done by Krishi Vigyan Kendra of that district. 111 officers have also been

made in-charge of one district each for overall coordination and field level monitoring. These officers have been selected from

subordinate/attached/autonomous organizations/PSUs etc. of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

Financial institution to be set up exclusively for food processing sector

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is creating a financial institution that will cater exclusively to the credit and lending needs of the food processing

sector. The Ministry expects to bring out an RFP (request for proposal) by July for the Agro-Processing Financial Institution, which will be a non-banking

financial institution. Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on June 4, 2018 that this was being done as the existing banks and financial

institutions do not fully understand the risk assessment of food processing companies and the sector loses out in terms of loans. The government is likely to

hold a minority stake in this NBFC, while the majority equity will be held by a private company.

The Knowledge Coalition-Intelligent Conversations organised in New Delhi




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Hardeep Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Housing and Urban Affairs on June 3, 2018 stated that Sustainable, balanced and integrated development of urban areas

is a key priority of the Government and a central theme in its urban growth paradigm. He was addressing „The Knowledge Coalition-Intelligent Conversations‟

on the occasion of World Environment Day in the presence of Erik Solheim, Chief of United Nations Environment Programme, Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident

Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in India, Dr. Ajay Mathur from The Energy and Resources Institute & Dia Mirza, UN Environment

Ambassador, in New Delhi.




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Session on ‘Sustainable lifestyle towards Enhancing Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy’ held

A thematic session on “Sustainable lifestyle towards Enhancing Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy” was organised on June 2, 2018 jointly by the

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The session brought

together policy-makers, regulators, international organisations, businesses, civil society and academia for a discussion on the pathways and key elements for

shifting consumption patterns and lifestyles towards sustainable alternatives.

Ministries of MSME and Ayush Sign MoU for the Development of Ayush Enterprises

Ministry of MSME and Ministry of AYUSH signed an MoU in the presence of the Ministers of AYUSH and MSME on June 4, 2018 in New Delhi. The MoU will

create synergies through the institutions and schemes of both ministries for the development of AYUSH enterprises in the country. The objective of this

partnership is to position India as a world leader in “Holistic Healthcare”. AYUSH industry include the Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drug

manufacturing units as well as the healthcare delivery centers in public & private sectors and are essentially dominated by MSMEs, which need handholding

support in the areas of entrepreneurship development, capacity building and financial assistance in order to grow and increase the market share of AYUSH.

App and Web portal launched for transparency in electricity payments to Generators

A Web portal and an App namely PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators),

www.praapti.in, were launched by Minister of State (I/C) for Power R.K. Singh on May 29, 2018. These have been developed to bring transparency in power

purchase transactions between Generators and Discoms.

Centre asks states to lift PDS grains for welfare institutions

The Centre on May 31, 2018 asked states to lift their quota of subsidised grains meant for distribution to welfare institutions and residents of SC/ST/OBC

hostels. A little over 13 lakh tonnes of foodgrains is allotted to states annually for the welfare institutions covered under PDS. Out of which, half of it is being

lifted by states, as per the official data. About 15/kg of wheat and rice is given at a BPL price of Rs 4.15/kg and Rs 5.65/kg, respectively, to each beneficiary.

Hostels with at least 2/3rd of the resident students belonging to SC/ST/OBC community are eligible to get subsidised foodgrain for all the resident students,

including those who belong to other categories, as per the guidelines.

FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey projects GDP growth for FY19 at 7.4%

FICCI‟s Economic Outlook Survey projects the quarterly GDP growth forecast for Q4 2017-18 at 7.1%; taking the full year growth estimate for 2017-18 to

6.6%. The survey was conducted during April-May2018 and included economists from Industry, banking and financial services sector. The annual GDP growth

for 2018-19 is projected at 7.4% by the participating economist; with a minimum and maximum range of 6.9% and 7.5% respectively.

Moody’s cuts India’s GDP forecast in 2018 to 7.3% from 7.5%

Moody‟s Investors Service report on May 30, 2018 has cut India‟s GDP growth forecast to 7.3 per cent in 2018, from previous forecast of 7.5 per cent due to

higher oil prices and tighter financial conditions. It, however, kept growth expectation for 2019 unchanged at 7.5 per cent.

Manufacturing PMI declines in May

India‟s manufacturing sector activity eased in May. the Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell from 51.6 in April to 51.2 in May. The

latest PMI survey signalled a further, albeit slower, improvement in the health of the manufacturing sector in May. This was reflective of weaker expansions in

output, employment and new business.

April eight core industries growth at 4.7%

Eight infrastructure industries recorded 4.7 per cent growth in April helped by healthy performance in segments like coal, natural gas and cement. The growth

rate of eight core sectors, which also include crude oil production, refinery products, electricity generation, fertilisers and steel, was 2.6 per cent in April 2017,

according to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry on May 31, 2018.




29

Section H: CORPORATE

Workers in Mumbai work longest hours in the world

Workers in Mumbai are the hardest working and put in the longest hours among 77 major cities of the world, according to a report by Swiss Bank UBS. The

average worker in Mumbai works 3,314.7 hours a year as against an average of 1,987 hours and more than twice as much as major European cities like Rome

(1,581 hours) or Paris (1,662 hours).

However, workers in Mumbai are not able to afford gadgets bought by their counterparts across the world. For instance, a New Yorker can afford an iPhone X

with 54 hours of work, whereas for a worker in Mumbai, the cost of this iPhone is equivalent to 917 hours wages.

If rental expense is factored in, cost of living in Mumbai is 46% that of New York. Mumbai is more affordable in services such as haircut for a male, which is

around 228 minutes of wages as against 128 minutes for New York. In terms of hourly earnings, Geneva, Zurich and Luxemburg top the list with Mumbai

coming in second last at number 76, only ahead of Cairo. Even African cities like Nairobi and Laos rank higher than

IOC most profitable PSU for 2nd

year in a row

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was India‟s most profitable state-owned company in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 (FY 2017-18) with a net profit of Rs

21,346 crore. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) retained the crown of being India‟s most profitable company for the third year in a row,

posting highest ever net profit of Rs 36,075 crore. Tata Consultancy Services, with a net profit of Rs 25,880 crore, was the second most profitable company in

the country.

Cipla announces $15 mn ‘disruptive’ challenge

Pharma firm Cipla has announced „Innoventia‟, a global initiative to crowdsource and incubate disruptive ideas in healthcare, the company said in a

statement. Cipla will give the winner an opportunity to elevate a unique idea by partnering, investing and incubating it with $15 million especially allocated

for this purpose. “Investment size may vary from a few crore to $15 million.” The last date for submissions is July 17.

Google India introduces ‘Neighbourly’ app to solve local queries

To help people find local answers in their neighbourhood, Google India on May 31, 2018 announced the beta launch of a new app called “Neighbourly” in

the country. Currently the service is available in Mumbai only. The app will help users answer queries like „find out which is the safest park for my kids in an

area‟ or „any affordable Maths private tuition available near me‟. “With „Neighbourly‟, your questions get routed to the right neighbours instantly, and then

they can write back with the most up-to-date, relevant and accurate info,” the app‟s description said.

FICCI joins hands with PPMC to chart road map for sustainable mobility in India

India‟s industry body FICCI and Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) have joined hands to chart a future road map for sustainable mobility in the

country by adapting ongoing global efforts to local needs. A collaborative agreement has been signed between FICCI and PPMC -- an open platform created

to serve as a facilitator for the transport sector in the COP 21 Lima Paris action agenda – in Montreal on May 31, 2018.

Patanjali removes ‘Kimbho app’ from Play Store

Patanjali on May 31, 2018 May 31, 2018 removed its messaging app „Kimbho‟ from Google Play Store and Apple‟s App Store, a day after the launch saying it

was released only for one-day trial. Kimbho application is touted to be a competitor of the messaging app WhatsApp. The tagline of Kimbho is kept as “Ab

Bharat Bolega”.

Royal Enfield launches special edition of Classic 500 Pegasus

Royal Enfield on May 30, 2018 today launched the special edition of Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycle in the country. The bike will be priced at Rs 2.49 lakh.

The company will put 250 units of Classic Pegasus on sale on July 10 exclusively on the Royal Enfield website.

NCW, Facebook to provide training to women on responsible use of internet

The National Commission for Women in collaboration with Facebook and a civil society group has launched a „Digital Literacy Programme‟ to provide training

to women in universities in several major cities in India on safe and responsible use of the internet and social media. As part of the initiative launched by

NCW, Facebook and Cyber Peace Foundation, training and awareness programme will be conducted for 60,000 women in universities across Haryana, Delhi-

NCR, Manipur, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, on a pilot basis.

Legal & General sells 26% in IndiaFirst to Warburg Pincus




30

Legal & General is exiting the insurance business in India by selling its entire 26 per cent stake in IndiaFirst Life Insurance to an affiliate of Warburg Pincus LLC

(Warburg Pincus). The deal size was around Rs 710 crore. IndiaFirst Life Insurance is promoted by public sector banks, Bank of Baroda and Andhra Bank,

along with UK‟s leading risk, wealth and investment company Legal & General. Bank of Baroda holds a 44 per cent stake in IndiaFirst, while Andhra Bank and

Legal & General hold a 30 per cent and 26 per cent stake, respectively. The private insurer, which has completed eight years in operations, has been

profitable for four consecutive years declaring Rs 51 crore of profit in FY18. Headquartered in Mumbai, IndiaFirst Life Insurance, has a paid-up share capital of

Rs 625 crore.

Bharti Foundation inks pact to support govt schools in NE

Bharti Foundation on May 29, 2018 said it has joined hands with the Meghalaya government to support 50 state-run schools. “Bharti Foundation, the

philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, announced the launch of Satya Bharti Quality Support Programme to support 50 government schools in East and

West Jaintia Hills, reaching out to 6,500 children and 136 teachers,” the organisation said in a statement. The Bharti Foundation also signed an MoU with the

Assam government to support 45 government-run schools.

NTPC adopts Charminar

NTPC Ltd has adopted the iconic Charminar in Hyderabad under the Swachh Iconic Places Projects of India, a special drive under the Centre‟s Swachh Bharat

Mission. NTPC Ltd and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on June 1, 2018 signed a MoU for implementation of development and

beautification works under „Charminar Pedestrianization Project‟ in Hyderabad, a release by NTPC said.

Singapore Airlines to launch world’s longest commercial flight in October

Singapore Airlines Ltd on May 30, 2018 said it would launch the world‟s longest commercial flight in October, a near-19 hour non-stop journey from

Singapore to the New York area. The 8,277 nautical mile (15,329 kilometre) flight from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey will eclipse the 7,843 nautical mile

Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Auckland as the world‟s longest, according to airline data provider OAG.

Australia’s Commonwealth Bank to pay record fine in laundering case

Australia‟s Commonwealth Bank on June 4, 2018 said it will pay a A$700 million ($530 million) fine for breaching anti-money laundering and counter-terror

financing laws. The scandal relates to 53,000 suspect transactions that the bank did not immediately report to authorities. In 2017, Australia‟s financial

intelligence agency accused the country‟s largest lender of “serious and systemic” law breaches. If a court approves the fine, it will be the largest civil penalty

in Australian corporate history. In December 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull established a royal commission inquiry to investigate the scale of

wrongdoing.

Toshiba completes $18 billion sale of chip unit to Bain consortium

Japan‟s Toshiba Corp said on June 1, 2018 it had completed the $18 billion sale of its chip unit to a consortium led by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital.

The consortium includes South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix, Apple Inc, Dell Technologies, Seagate Technology and Kingston Technology.

Microsoft acquires GitHub for $7.5bn

Microsoft on June 4, 2018 announced to acquire GitHub, the world‟s leading software development platform, for $7.5 billion. The two companies will

empower developers to achieve more at every stage of the development lifecycle, accelerate enterprise use of GitHub, and bring Microsoft‟s developer tools

and services to new audiences. “Microsoft is a developer-first company, and by joining forces with GitHub we strengthen our commitment to developer

freedom, openness and innovation,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, in a statement.

NEWSMAKERS

HDFC Bank’s Aditya Puri features in Barron’s list of top 30 global CEOs

67-year old Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank, has made it to Barron‟s list of Top 30 Global CEOs for the fourth straight year, along with big

names Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett. Puri is the only Indian CEO to feature in the list. He has been at the helm of HDFC Bank, India‟s largest private lender,

since its inception in 1994. The 14th edition of the list includes the world‟s top CEOs such Bezos of Amazon, Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Jamie Dimon of

JPMorgan Chase, Larry Page of Alphabet, Reed Hastings of Netflix, Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. This year, the magazine

clubbed the CEOs in three categories: Visionary Founders, Growth Leaders, and Turnaround Experts. Puri has been put in the Growth Leaders category.

CBI books Air Asia CEO, others for violating international flying norms




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The CBI on May 29, 2018 registered a case against Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and others over alleged violation of norms for getting international

flying licenses. The case relates to alleged violation of norms by directors of the aviation company for relaxation of 5/20 rules in the aviation sector to get

licenses for international operations, as well as violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) rules. The 5/20 rule means that a company needs five

years of experience and 20 aircraft to become eligible for the license. Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes allegedly lobbied with government servants for

clearances, removal of existing 5/20 rule of aviation and change in regulatory policies, CBI has alleged.




32

Section I: STATES

Bengal’s Chau mask acquires Geographical Indication tag

The Chau mask of Purulia, the wooden mask of Kushmandi, the Patachitra, the Dokras of Bengal, and Madhurkathi (a kind of mat) have been presented

with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indication Registry.

„Patachitra‟ is a form of scroll painting which uses vibrant natural colours and singing to tell a story. The art form is heavily concentrated within a

community of 250 artists known as „Patuas‟ in West Midnapore district‟s Naya village.

In West Midnapore district, it is estimated that there are about 4,500 weavers who are involved in making of „Madhukathi‟ mats made from grass weed.

In Purulia district, the „Chhau‟ mask is famous and is used for „Chhau‟ dance and also for decoration purpose as wall hangings.

Artisans in South Dinajpur district make the traditional wooden masks of Kushmandi.

In Bankura district, artisans have retained the thousands of years old wax casting technique with „Dokra‟ products like figures of gods and goddesses, birds,

animals besides jewellery.

All these five rural crafts are from West Bengal and the GI tag would not only help the artisans create their own brand but would also provide legal protection

to artisans practising the crafts against attempts to duplicate them in other regions.

GI tags are given on the basis of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The first product to be included in the list was

Darjeeling Tea.

Centre to set up study centre on Brahmaputra river at Gauhati University

The government announced on May 29, 2018 that a Brahmaputra Study Centre would be set up at Gauhati University at a cost of Rs 28 crore to conduct

research on the causes of and how to prevent frequent floods in the river. Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh

said the Brahmaputra was one of the largest rivers in the world and the study centre would offer an opportunity for research in different aspects of the river

in hydrology, waterways, environment, disaster, flood management, hydro-power production, etc.

World Bank to provide $21.7 mn loan for Rajasthan financial management

The World Bank will provide a USD 21.7 million loan for strengthening the public financial management in Rajasthan to improve budget execution and

greater revenue efficiency.

An agreement for IBRD credit of USD 21.7 million was signed in New Delhi on May 29, 2018. The project size is approximately USD 31 million, of which USD

21.7 million will be financed by the World Bank, and the remaining amount will be funded-out of the state budget. The Project duration is 5 years.

The objective of the project is to contribute to improved budget execution, enhanced accountability and greater efficiency in revenue administration in

Rajasthan. It involves strengthening of the Public Financial Management Framework; strengthening of expenditure and revenue systems; and project

management and capacity building among others.

Piyush Goyal flags off Humsafar Jodhpur Bandra Express in Rajasthan

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on June 2, 2018 flagged off Humsafar Jodhpur Bandra Express at Bhagat Ki Kothi Railway Station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Kalkaji-Janakpuri corridor opens to public; Delhi-NCR metro span to be 380 km by Dec

Commuters can now beat the heavy road traffic on Ring Roads in the national capital by taking metro as the 24.82-km Kalkaji Mandir-Janakpuri West stretch

of Delhi Metro‟s Magenta Line was thrown open to the public on May 29, 2018. The corridor of the Magenta Line, part of Phase-III of the Delhi Metro Rail

Corporation, was inaugurated by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs (Independent Charge) Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind

Kejriwal at Nehru Enclave metro station.

Heli-Taxi services launched between Shimla & Chandigarh

A helicopter taxi service between Shimla and Chandigarh was launched on June 4, 2018. The service has been introduced by Pawan Hans Ltd in collaboration

with Himachal Pradesh government. The 20-seater chopper service will be available on Mondays and Fridays.

Govt enhances compensation for loss of milch animals due to cross-border firing in J&K




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Centre has enhanced the compensation for loss of milch animals due to cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir to 50 thousand per milch animal. Earlier

the compensation was 30 thousand rupees. Border areas of the state are facing losses of livestock, crops and houses due to firing from across the border.

These claims will initially be paid by the State Government after evaluating the actual loss. The amount will then reimbursed by the Ministry of Home Affairs

under Security Related Expenditure (Relief and Rehabilitation) Scheme.

Rose-ringed parakeet is official bird of A.P.

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to notify Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), known as Rama Chiluka, as the State bird. The neem (

Azadirachta indica) is the official tree. The black-buck (Antilope cervicapra) is the official animal while Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) is the official flower.

Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to create Telangana in June, 2014.

Telangana govt, LIC sign MoU for life insurance scheme for farmers

Telangana government and the LIC on June 4, 2018 signed MoU for the implementation of a Rs five lakh life insurance scheme for the benefit of farmers in

the state. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad. Rao said the family of any farmer in the age group of

18-60 would get Rs five lakh cover within 10 days in the event of his death. LIC Chairman V K Sharma said it was the first time that such a „unique scheme‟

was being implemented for the prosperity of farmers in the country.

NASSCOM to set up cyber security CoE in Telangana

The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), an arm of the NASSCOM, has signed an agreement with the Telangana government to set up the Centre of

Excellence for cyber security. The CoE will accelerate Telangana‟s cyber security momentum and make the State a hub for cyber security in the next five years.

“The CoE, to be developed on public-private-partnership model will accelerate and strengthen the ecosystem for cyber security. It will work on innovation,

entrepreneurship and capacity building,” Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary (Information Technology and Industries), said after signing the agreement in Hyderabad on

June 2, 2018.

Cochin Shipyard, Kerala govt ink pact to build marine ambulances

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) on May 31, 2018 said it has entered into an agreement with Kerala government to construct three marine ambulance for the state

fisheries department. The vessel will be able to complement 2 patients and will have a total crew capacity of seven, including the paramedical staff. The boats

will also have various paramedical facilities like examination and nursing room, medical beds, mortuary freezer, refrigerator and medical lockers.

Kerala Tourism rolls out ‘ComeOutAndPlay’ monsoon campaign

With the monsoon season beginning in Kerala, the state Tourism Department has rolled out „ComeOutAndPlay‟ monsoon campaign to promote the nearly

two-month long rainy season.

Odisha launches health insurance scheme for journalists

Odisha government on June 1, 2018 launched a health insurance scheme for working journalists in the state. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the

scheme called “Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana” in Bhubaneswar. In the first phase, as many as 3,233 working journalists will get health

insurance coverage up to Rs 2 lakh a year. At least five members of the journalists‟ family will be covered under the scheme.

Maharashtra ties up with Tata Motors, M&M to deploy 1,000 e-vehicles

The Maharashtra government on May 31, 2018 signed MoUs with Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors to promote electric vehicles in the State. In the two

MoUs, the Maharashtra government said it will work closely with various fleet partners, taxi aggregators, logistics companies, amongst others, to deploy

1,000 electric cars over the next one year.

The announcements, however, will not result into any new projects for either of the companies as the deployment of these EVs will be a part of a contract

signed by both Tata Motors and M&M with state-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL).

EESL will buy cars from the two automakers, who are currently the only ones in the country to sell electric cars, and then lease out these e-cars to several

States including Maharashtra.

Maharashtra government unveils ‘sandbox’ to aid startups

In its efforts to develop the financial capital into a fintech hub, the Maharashtra government on June 2, 2018 announced a „sandbox‟ to aid startups in the

space. Generally, sandbox is seen as a safe zone to test financial innovation which sees a limited rollout of new products to select customers. Maharashtra,

the first state to have a dedicated fintech policy, is also planning to have a dedicated „Fintech Officer‟ in the Department of Information Technology, Chief




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Minister Devendra Fadnavis said at the inauguration of the Mumbai Fintech Festival in Mumbai.

NEWSMAKERS

Maharashtra BJP minister Pandurang Fundkar dies at 67

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Pandurang P. Fundkar passed away in Mumbai on May 31, 2018 at the age of 67.

Fundkar served as a three-time Member of Parliament in the 9th, 10th and 11th Lok Sabha from Akola, besides as MLA and MLC in the state since his first

election in 1978.

Bengali litterateur Indramitra dies at 89

Noted Bengali litterateur Arabinda Guha, who is also known by his pseudonym Indramitra, passed away in Kolkata on June 3, 2018. The author was recipient

of Rabindra Purashkar, instituted by the West Bengal Government, twice for his books „Karunasagar Vidyasagar‟, a research based work, and „Dekha Sakkhat‟,

a collection of poems. He was also the recipient of Narasimha Das Purashkar, instituted by the Delhi University, for „Saajghar‟, another research based work.




35

Section J: SPORTS

Discus thrower Vikas Gowda announces retirement

India‟s Men‟s discus throw national record holder Vikas Gowda announced his retirement on May 30, 2018. The 34-year-old had set the current national

record of 66.28 metre in 2012, when he had bettered the previous record held by Shakti Singh. Gowda had won gold medals at the Asian Championships in

2013 and 2015. He became the only Indian to win a gold medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) when he took the title at the 2014 edition in

Glasgow. He also won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He had bagged silver at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon (South Korea) and bronze

in 2010 at Guangzhou in China. In 2017, he was awarded Padma Shri. He represented the country at the Olympics in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. His best

performance came at the 2012 London Games where he finished eighth. Gowda was awarded Padma Shri in 2017 and Arjuna Award in 2011.

Monu Goyat tops ProKabaddi 2018 player auction list at Rs.1.51 crore

The ProKabaddi 2018 players‟ auctions were held on May 30, 2018. Haryana Steelers led the way with Rs.1.51 crore for raider Monu Goyat. Telugu Titans

secured Rahul Chaudhary for Rs.1.29 crore. Deepak Hooda, Nitin Tomar (Rs.1.15 crore each by Jaipur Pink Panthers and Puneri Paltans) and Rishank Devadiga

(Rs.1.11 crore, UP Yodhas) were the other highly-value purchases. Five Indians crossing the crore mark in a single auction shows the rapid pace at which PKL

is becoming an eye-catching indoor sporting package.

National Sports University Ordinance, 2018 gets President’s assent

National Sports University Ordinance, 2018 has come into force as the President of India has given his assent to the Union Cabinet‟s decision to promulgate

the said Ordinance. Earlier, the Union Cabinet on May 23, 2018, had decided to approve the proposal of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to

promulgate the National Sports University Ordinance, 2018, by which the National Sports University will be established with headquarters at Manipur.

Rabada named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year

Kagiso Rabada, the world‟s number one Test bowler, was named South Africa‟s Cricketer of the Year. The award came at the end of a 12-month period during

which Rabada, 23, was a consistent match-winner. Rabada took 72 wickets at an average of 19.52 in 12 Tests going back to a series in England in July 2017.

India’s Sanjana Ramesh wins the MVP award at Basketball Without Borders Asia

India‟s Sanjana Ramesh was awarded the „Most Valuable Player‟ (MVP) even as compatriot Vaishnavi Yadav won the „Girls Grit Award‟ on the fourth and final

day of Basketball Without Borders Asia, which featured 66 campers from 16 countries from the Asia-Pacific region on June 2, 2018.

CWG gold medallist Sanjita Chanu fails dope test

Two-time Commonwealth Games champion weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid and she has been provisionally

suspended, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on May 31, 2018. Sanjita, who had won a gold in the women‟s 53kg category in the recent

Gold Coast CWG in 2018, has tested positive for testosterone. She had also won a gold in the 48kg category in the 2014 CWG in Glasgow.

Chennai Customs, KSEB win titles at all-India Basketball Championship

Chennai Customs beat Indian Railways 69-63 in the men‟s final of 53rd

all-India Basketball Championship in Coimbatore on May 31, 2018 lift the Natchimuthu

Gounder Cup. In the women‟s section, KSEB (Thiruvananthapuram) beat Eastern Railway, Kolkata, 59-43 in the final to lift the CRI Pumps Trophy.

Sports journalist Sathish Paul dies at 52

Senior sports journalist Sathish Paul passed away in Bengaluru on May 29, 2018. He was 52. Paul had worked with a number of publications, including The

Indian Express, The Times of India and Bangalore Mirror.

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